Merchants send invoices to customers with information regarding money owed by a customer to a merchant. A customer pays an invoice by writing a check, using a credit card, transferring money via a third party, or transferring money from a customer bank account to a merchant bank account. Money transfers between banks may be performed using the Automated Clearing House (ACH).
To make an ACH transfer, a customer connects to a server associated with his or her bank, enters the transaction details, and submits the transfer request. The money is transferred directly to the merchant account from the customer account via ACH.
To transfer money via a third party, the customer connects to a server associated with the third party, enters the transaction details, and submits the transfer request. The money is transferred from the customer account to an account of the third party and then from the third-party account to the merchant account.